Sweepstakes Casinos in New Jersey (2026)

Are sweepstakes casinos legal in New Jersey?

No. Governor Phil Murphy signed Assembly Bill 5447 on August 15, 2025, banning the dual-currency sweepstakes model with immediate effect, and every sweepstakes casino has left the state. New Jersey is unusual among the ban states because it already had a fully regulated online casino market; lawmakers saw sweepstakes sites as unlicensed competitors to it.

New Jersey defines gambling in the criminal code, N.J.S.A. 2C:37-1, as staking or risking something of value on the outcome of a contest of chance or a future event outside the player’s control for a prize. The state constitution requires voter approval for every new form of gambling, and the Casino Control Act confines casino gaming, including internet gaming since 2013, to licensees tied to Atlantic City. Sweepstakes casinos argued that giving away Sweeps Coins free removed the stake and made them promotions rather than gambling.

A5447 and its Senate twin S4282 closed that door in two ways. They redefined prize or prize equivalent to include a virtual facsimile that can be exchanged, sold or redeemed, so Sweeps Coins count as prizes. And they defined a sweepstakes to include any promotional game, online or in person, that awards something of value directly or indirectly through a dual-currency system in which a participant can exchange the currency for a prize or prize equivalent, then prohibited offering that model in New Jersey. The Assembly passed the bill 69-10 in June 2025, the Senate passed it 34-5 on June 30, 2025 and it became law on signing. We are not lawyers; the summary here is for information.

Recent developments

• Early 2025: Stake.us, High 5 Casino and the B-Two brands McLuck, Mega Bonanza and Hello Millions withdraw from New Jersey as the bill gathers support.
• June 2025: the Assembly passes A5447 69-10 after an 11-0 vote in the Appropriations Committee.
• June 30, 2025: the Senate passes the bill 34-5. The Social and Promotional Games Association urges the Governor to listen to facts, not fear.
• July 29, 2025: VGW stops issuing Sweeps Coins to New Jersey players on Chumba Casino, LuckyLand Slots and Global Poker, allows play until August 26 and redemptions until September 24.
• August 15, 2025: Governor Murphy signs A5447 into law, effective immediately. The Social Gaming Leadership Alliance calls it the wrong solution to a misunderstood issue.
• Late 2025: Funzpoints, Spree, MyPrize.us, Clubs Casino, LuckySlots.us, Zula Casino and other smaller brands close their New Jersey operations.
• 2026: the Division of Gaming Enforcement reports working on the new sweepstakes law alongside its campaign against illegal offshore operators. No repeal or amendment has been filed.

How New Jersey law treats sweepstakes and gambling

Enforcement of the sweepstakes ban is shared between the Division of Consumer Affairs and the Division of Gaming Enforcement, both within the Attorney General’s office. Offering a prohibited sweepstakes carries a civil penalty of up to $100,000 for a first offence and up to $250,000 for each later one, and each day a site operates counts as a separate offence. The law also bars sweepstakes whose outcomes depend on sporting events, which stops the model being used as an unlicensed sportsbook.

The penalties are written for the businesses that offer the games. A5447 creates no offence for players, and the Division of Gaming Enforcement has not pursued individuals. Licensed gambling is governed by the Casino Control Act and the Sports Wagering Act, with the Casino Control Commission handling casino licensing and the Division of Gaming Enforcement policing operators, online platforms and game integrity.

What New Jersey players should check

• Any dual-currency site still open to you is breaking the law. Reputable operators geo-block New Jersey. A site that lets you buy Gold Coins and redeem Sweeps Coins from inside the state is either unaware of your location or ignoring A5447, and neither is a good sign for your money.
• Free-play social casinos are unaffected. If nothing can be exchanged, sold or redeemed, the site is not a sweepstakes under the law.
• Age: 21 is the minimum for casino gaming, online casinos and sports betting in New Jersey.
• Old balances: if you still hold coins with an operator that left, contact its support team; most published redemption windows, and some will still process a final payout on request.
• Use licensed sites: the Division of Gaming Enforcement publishes the list of authorised online casino and sportsbook brands. Anything not on it is unregulated.

Other legal ways to play in New Jersey

New Jersey has one of the deepest legal gambling markets in the country. Nine casinos operate in Atlantic City, including Borgata, Hard Rock, Ocean, Caesars, Harrah’s, Tropicana, Resorts, Bally’s and Golden Nugget. Regulated online casinos launched in November 2013 and dozens of licensed brands now offer slots, table games, live dealer games and poker. Online and retail sports betting began in June 2018, when Monmouth Park took the state’s first legal bet days after the Supreme Court struck down the federal ban in a case New Jersey brought. The New Jersey Lottery dates from 1970, horse racing continues at Monmouth Park, the Meadowlands and Freehold Raceway, daily fantasy sports are regulated, and charities run bingo and raffles. The minimum age is 21 for casinos, online casinos and sports betting and 18 for the lottery and horse racing.

Staying up to date

We monitor Division of Gaming Enforcement actions, any bill to amend A5447 and every operator’s New Jersey policy. The casino list and legal status on this page are updated as soon as anything changes, and the review date in the header shows when we last checked.